


Love in Darkness

by M1dn1ght_Star



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Albus Dumbledore Bashing, Character Death, Dark Magic, Denial, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Flower meanings, Fluff and Angst, Good Dark Side, Good Death Eaters, Good Lucius Malfoy, Good Severus Snape, Good Tom Riddle, Healthy Relationships, Idiots in Love, James Potter Bashing, Jealousy, Knights of Walpurgis, Light Magic, Lucius Malfoy & Severus Snape Friendship, M/M, Magical Bonds, Magical Oaths, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Minor Character Death, Minor Injuries, No Remus Lupin Redemption, Nobility, Oblivious, Oh boy buckle in kiddos, Older Man/Younger Man, Order of the Phoenix Bashing, Political Alliances, Possessive Tom Riddle, References to bullying, Remus Lupin Bashing, Remus is about as smooth as the grand canyon, Sane Tom Riddle, Slow Burn, The dark mark is different, The use matters not the magick, Therapy, Tom Riddle is Not Voldemort, Torture, Weddings, Werewolf Remus Lupin, Which is deserved, Wizarding Traditions (Harry Potter), Young James Potter, Young Remus Lupin, Young Severus Snape, do not copy to another site, only a teeny little bit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:34:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 14,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28240974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M1dn1ght_Star/pseuds/M1dn1ght_Star
Summary: Severus Snape is attending the Malfoy Yule Ball in December of 1979. He catches the eye of Lord Slytherin, who attempts to recruit him for the Knights. Drawn to the powerful charisma of his new Lord, Severus accepts and joins his friend Lucius among the ranks of the fealty sworn wixen to the Knights’ cause. Lord Slytherin is equally as fascinated with Snape as the younger is with him, but will the two be able to move past their own denial and forge a relationship?(not one of my finest summaries, but it turned out okay... lol anyways, please give my story a try and I hope you enjoy!)
Relationships: Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy, Tom Riddle/Severus Snape, onesided Remus Lupin/Severus Snape
Comments: 98
Kudos: 223





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had an idea and it wouldn't stop bothering me until I wrote it - expect the entire story to follow within the next couple weeks lol
> 
> I don't have a proofreader except myself and I'm kinda lazy about doing that, so if there's an error or typo or something let me know :)
> 
> ATTENTION: Severus and Lucius graduated in the same year, the previous year, while Marvolo is older, around 40 - This fic is set beginning in 1979, the year after Sev and Lucius graduate (Sev is 19, almost 20, his birthday is Jan 9, 1960) and Marvolo is 38(changed birthday 15 years from December 31, 1926 to the year 1941, so instead of 52 he is 38) while Lucius is born in 1959 instead of 1954.

Severus straightened his robes, trying to hide the anxiety coursing through him at the thought of the crowds which awaited him. It was the night of the annual Malfoy Yule Ball and his friend Lucius had invited him to attend. He knew that it was an enormous opportunity, being from the mundane world and lacking the connections many purebloods and half bloods had made in their childhood years before Hogwarts. If the evening went well, he might gain a valuable ally or a loyal client for his potions business.

Exhaling inaudibly, Severus straightened his posture and said clearly, “Malfoy Manor” before throwing down a handful of powder and stepping into the green flames. He gritted his teeth at the dizzying journey, still unpleasant despite Lucius’s assurances that he would get used to it.

Carefully striding out the other side of the floo connection, Severus made his way to where Lucius and his fiance Narcissa were standing by the grand doors of the ballroom, greeting guests. He was welcomed warmly and ushered into the large hall, his feet faltering momentarily at the intimidating flock of nobles and politicians in front of him before he regained his smooth momentum, which took him to a quiet table in one corner where he could recover his bearings.

An exhausting hour of ‘networking’ later, Severus returned to the table and took a seat, drinking a glass of water he had requested from a house elf. Several of the lords seemed interested in funding some of his research for a potion that would help restore a mind after brain trauma, though most of the ladies present either ignored him or subtly insulted him and the business men chose to rush through pleasantries before excusing themselves. Lord Orion Black had even offered to fund his potions mastery, in exchange for several complex potions in the future! All in all, it wasn’t a terrible outcome of the evening, but he already felt drained and wished he could go home. Sadly, leaving this early would apparently be damaging to his reputation, so he had to stay for at least another hour, though he wasn’t entirely certain Lucius hadn’t made that up in order to get him to stay longer.

He was taking a calming breath, eyes shut, when someone cleared their throat politely nearby and his eyes fluttered open to see Lucius standing there next to an unfamiliar man. Severus couldn’t stop his traitorous eyes from staring at the striking features of this stranger, but quickly recovered his composure and greeted them courteously while trying to restrain the blush making its way across his pale face.

The stranger introduced himself as Lord Marvolo Slytherin, surprising Severus who darted a quick look at Lucius, having heard all about the mysterious lord who his friend had pledged fealty to. Lord Slytherin gave Severus an assessing look and asked him about his work with potions, seemingly having been given a recommendation by Lucius.

“I have been working on some experimental changes to Veritaserum recently.” Severus said, continuing to explain in some detail parts of his research that he could reveal without worrying about anyone trying to steal his work after Lord Slytherin demonstrated a good understanding of potions theory. The man even suggested a few books to read through to assist him in the process of minimizing side effects

Before he realized, the evening was coming to an end and Lord Slytherin also seemed surprised at how much time had passed while they were talking. The man stood from his chair and said, “I have enjoyed conversing with you this evening. Please, consider joining my Knights, you would be a valuable member.” He placed a gold and green card on the table in front of Severus and disappeared with a final glance and smile into the crowd of guests now making their way for the exit.

Severus sat frozen for a moment, shocked that such a powerful man was interested in his talents, before shaking himself from his motionless state and standing up himself. He collected his coat and said farewell to Lucius and Lord Black, who were talking to one another by the doors.

After returning to the small flat he was staying in, he spent several hours arguing with himself as he paced back and forth in his living room, trying to decide whether or not to accept Lord Slytherin’s recruitment offer. On one hand, it would provide him with more resources and some stability to fall back on if needed, along with being a cause that he believed in, but Severus was also distrustful and self-sufficient by nature so he didn’t like the idea of tying himself to the other man with a fealty bond. He had seen the mark on Lucius’s arm and was simultaneously fascinated and disgusted.

With a sigh as he walked back towards the clock and saw just how late it had gotten, Severus tossed the card down on his table and went to get ready for bed. He hadn’t bothered to change after returning home from the ball and was still wearing his formal robes, which were now causing him some discomfort and he wanted to change into his more comfortable nightwear. His dilemma could wait for tomorrow, after he had gotten some sleep and drunk several mugs of coffee in the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severus makes his choice...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy reading and have a wonderful day! Please stay warm and get lots of sleep, eat well, and do things that make you happy! <3

The next morning, Severus had forgotten completely about the card from Lord Slytherin until the reflective gold border caught his eye while he was tidying up his flat. The bright colors and elegant writing seemed to be taunting him as he snatched it up with a frustrated sound.

Knowing he had a bit of a habit of overthinking and overanalyzing things, Severus decided to just go with his ‘instincts’ for once and promptly decided to accept the offer. He read over the instructions on the card one more time to make sure he remembered them correctly. Writing a carefully worded letter, he sent it off via his eagle owl Fiona to Slytherin Manor, where Lord Slytherin lived and used the large property as a base for the Knights. The card was attached, having a specific charm placed on it that would allow Fiona past the protective wards.

Feeling too anxious to safely work on brewing anything, Severus settled down on his sofa and started looking up the books Lord Slytherin had recommended to him the previous evening. Unfortunately, one of them was not openly available in Britain due to it being banned by the Ministry, so he would have to utilize some not-quite-legal methods if he wanted to get his hands on a copy. The other two were available at Flourish and Blotts, so he could make a trip to Diagon Alley or inquire whether Lucius had a copy.

The sound of fluttering wings made Severus look up from his book, spotting Fiona returning through the window. She was holding a scroll of parchment in her talons. Carefully unwinding the cord of a necklace from her feet, Severus filled her water bowl and tossed a frozen mouse her way before sitting back down to read the message.

Lord Slytherin had responded to his acceptance letter with a guide to the Knights current main goals, along with directions to visit Slytherin Manor using the sword pendant attached at exactly 10 am the next day. There was also a helpful note about Lord Slytherin being available that afternoon if Severus was unable to come tomorrow, which was a relief to Severus who had a meeting with the Potion Masters then. He marked the box which would alert the lord that he was planning to come that afternoon.

Swiftly changing into a more presentable outfit and making sure his hair was free from potion fumes still, Severus held tightly to the sword pendant and spoke the activation phrase which triggered the portkey. His traitorous thoughts stressed about looking good for Lord Slytherin, though he swore it was only because he wanted to make a good impression.

When he landed, Severus looked around in slight awe at the lush grounds and the imposing manor building before him. Malfoy Manor couldn’t even dream of being as luxurious and elegant as Slytherin Manor appeared. He was standing at the end of a long stone path which led up to the front of the manor house and walked towards the enormous building, spotting the graceful figure of Lord Slytherin standing by the entrance.

“Welcome, please follow me.” Lord Slytherin said, turning and striding off into the decadent hallway without bothering to check if Severus was following. He led Severus through the manor and to a simple but obviously high quality office. The furniture was all polished mahogany and the walls a tasteful shade of white. A gold and green sword hung on the wall behind the large desk. 

“You understand how this works?” A clearly rhetorical question, expecting Severus to already know what he was getting into. The guide had been clear on the matter, so it was a test he assumed, to see if potential Knights were intelligent enough and had common sense. Severus had already known parts of the process through Lucius, of course, but some was secrecy bound and new information.

Nodding, Severus pushed up his left sleeve and extended his bare forearm so it rested on the desk. Lord Slytherin gave him a pleased smile and took a firm but not uncomfortable hold of his wrist, ensuring he remained still. Severus restrained himself from shivering at the sibilant hisses that left his Lord’s mouth, winding their way across his pale skin and sinking into it, changing portions of it. Elegant black lines swirled across his forearm, joining together to form a sword, the blade of which glinted faintly with gold and the pommel held a green stone. Intricate golden filigree twined with the grip. This was only made even more impressive by the fact that the entire thing was done wandlessly.

After his mark was complete, Severus swore the oath of secrecy that bound all the Knights and Lord Slytherin enchanted the sword pendant to work permanently and tied it to his mark so that only Severus or another Knight could use the portkey. He also added a sensitivity piece of magick to alert him if the use of the portkey was forced.

Standing up, Severus expected to be dismissed to leave, but instead Lord Slytherin inquired if he had any luck finding the books he had mentioned. He explained his plans to ask Lucius if he had a copy and was surprised when his lord stood and walked to a bookcase in one corner of the room and removed three books, handing them to Severus.

“I expect these are taken good care of and returned once you are done with them. Do not allow anyone else to see the book in the middle, it is the illegal one to possess in Britain.” Lord Slytherin said, before switching topics and explaining how meetings worked and that he would assign Severus to a project at the next one, which was in a week on December 29.

Bowing respectfully, Severus left the office and was guided by a house elf back out to the gardens, where he was shown the end of the ward boundaries. Stepping across the line, he disapparated with a quiet crack and reappeared in an alley by his flat. He currently lived in a mundane area of London, so he was careful to make sure no one had seen him apparating before entering his house.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a while to get this chapter finished but I'm satisfied with the result
> 
> Hope you enjoy, also I didn't reread and edit it because I'm lazy so lmk if there's a problem with it

In the time between receiving his mark and the first Knights meeting he would attend, Severus noticed that the tattoo would often tingle or otherwise react. It didn’t seem to correspond to any particular action or event that he did, so Severus concluded it was simply the bond between him and Lord Slytherin settling or something similar. He mentioned it casually to Lucius one evening, when he was over at Malfoy Manor having drinks with him, and was surprised to learn that his friend’s mark had never done such a thing. 

When Lord Slytherin had placed the sword on Severus, he had unintentionally created a stronger bond than usual, his intent changed slightly by his interest in the other man, but neither of them realized it at the time. Marvolo had discovered this fact later that evening after sitting down to practice Occlumency and noticing that one of the fealty bonds was more prominent than the rest. It didn’t seem to be causing any negative effects, so Lord Slytherin decided to leave it alone for the moment.

During the week leading up to his first meeting, Severus often found himself distracted by thoughts of what his assignment could be. He was strongly hopeful for one related to potions, as that seemed to be why Lord Slytherin had approached him in the first place, but knew that the man almost definitely already had potion brewers among the ranks of the Knights and he might also start out somewhere else on a probation of sorts.

Finally, after what felt like the longest week of his life, it was the evening of the 29th. Severus donned the moderately formal black robes with silver trim that usually sat in the back of his wardrobe, unworn, as he preferred to avoid social gatherings for the most part. A quick glance in the hall mirror showed his nervous face staring back at him, and Severus impulsively pocketed a Calming Draught, just in case.

After a quick journey by portkey, Severus joined the steady stream of wixen up the path and into Slytherin Manor. His anxiety spiked in the midst of the crowd, feeling out of place, but the Knights were a large enough group that no one knew everyone, so other than a few nods of greeting and a speculative glance or two, Severus made his way to the meeting hall without any incident his mind had conjured up.

Lord Slytherin was sitting at the head of an extremely long table, with a chair on either side of him. If Severus had to guess, the dimensions of the table would be around three seats by thirty seats, something that would be both impractical and close to impossible without the use of magic to smooth things over. There were also two smaller tables on either side of the main one, providing seating for the remainder of the Knights.

Starting off the meeting with an announcement of a success in the form of a piece of legislature, Lord Slytherin also announced the number of new members briefly. This was a total of 3, including Severus, with the others being Antonin Dolohov and Thorfinn Rowle, both newly graduated like him. 

After this was done, several men and women gave reports on the state of their projects and an older lady gave Lord Slytherin a pitch black envelope with his name written in blood red ink, the contents of which were shared with the gathered Knights after their Lord had read the letter. Apparently the vampires were willing to ally with them, on the condition that they get the Wizengamot to pass through a law that removes the requirement for vampires to allow the Unspeakables to take their blood for experiments and potions. Having heard about this before in his research on potion ingredients and being horrified that vampires had no choice in the matter, Severus was eager to see this happen.

Antonin and Thorfinn were both given assignments during the meeting, to collaborate with Lucius on an education plan and work on their Curse Breaking mastery respectively, but Severus was only asked to make a couple of healing potions and return with them in 3 days. Getting the sense that this was likely a test of his brewing skills, Severus did his best and used all the tricks he had discovered over the year, arriving back at Slytherin Manor with professional grade potions. Lord Slytherin had been very pleased with the quality of the potions, and had gazed at Severus in an assessing manner before leaning forwards from his seat in his office.

“I have an assignment for you. This is not a requirement, you may decline if you wish.” He said, tilting his head slightly as he spoke. “I have need of a spy in the Unspeakables department of the Ministry. Your skill with experimental potions makes you a prime candidate.”

Severus inhaled in surprise, not having expected this. “I-Lord Slytherin…” He hesitated, unsure how to explain that he wanted to pursue a Mastery instead. Before he could say anything, his Lord somehow knew he would refuse without him saying it, nodding and making a note on a scrap of parchment.

“That’s alright. I have another candidate or two as well. Would you be adverse to the role of personal potions master instead? You are one of the best brewers I have ever met.” Lord Slytherin asked, his intense brown eyes softening slightly.

Shocked and filled with a sudden rush of unusual giddiness that Lord Slytherin thought so highly of him, it took Severus a moment to collect himself enough to respond. “Yes, I would be honored to take on that position, as long as I can complete my Potions Mastery as well.” He said, trying to keep his voice calm so as not to betray himself. He didn’t think he quite succeeded if the slight quirk of Lord Slytherin’s mouth was anything to go by, but the other man didn’t say anything about his tone, and instead handed him a cup of tea that he had been making while they were talking.

“Regulus Black had been filling in for your new role up until now, but his true talents and passion lie in warding, so he will be more than happy to introduce you to the resources available to you at the manor before you take over.” Lord Slytherin explained, taking a sip of his drink.

“Thank you, Lord Slytherin. Where should I go to find Black?” Severus inquired, enjoying his own cup of tea. Considering for a moment, his Lord ultimately offered up the gardens as the location he was most likely to find Regulus.

After finishing his drink, Severus said farewell to Lord Slytherin and departed from his office in search of the man he would be taking over from. Regulus was sitting on a bench, scribbling frantically on a piece of parchment as he flipped pages in a book propped against his knees. Being a 7th year student at Hogwarts, he was likely working on school assignments that were due when classes resumed after the winter holidays.

Looking up at the sound of approaching footsteps on the stone path, Regulus smiled at the sight of Severus, having met him a few times in the library and common room at Hogwarts. Severus explained why he had been looking for him and Regulus smiled widely, packing away his school things before giving him a quick tour of the brewing equipment and ingredient storage available in the basement floor of the manor. Severus also learned several mostly unrelated things including other frequent guests at the Manor, a humorous story about Lucius appearing through the floo with an albino peacock secretly hitching a ride and the resulting chase throughout the building to capture it, and that Lord Slytherin’s birthday was on New Year’s Eve.

Making a mental note to wish his Lord happy birthday if he saw him, Severus also resolved to get to know more of the Knights, having realized that he would be spending much of his free time not working on his Mastery at the manor. Regulus also introduced him to his cousin Bellatrix, who was the dueling instructor of the Knights, after they passed by where she was enjoying a pastry by a window on the second floor. 

On the way back to the disapparation point after finishing the tour of the house, Severus also spotted a medium sized snake disappearing around a corner and discovered that she was Lord Slytherin’s familiar, named Nagini but also referred to as Nini by several Knights, including Bellatrix. He smiled at the nickname, waving goodbye to Regulus before returning to his flat. He had lots of work to do for his Potions Mastery.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's kinda short, but its what you're getting :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marvolo doesn't understand emotions lol
> 
> Severus is either oblivious or in denial so 
> 
> These boys are gonna make you wanna lock them in a closet and scream 'kiss already' ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

A few days later, Severus was researching the history of an antidote to common poisons in the library at Slytherin Manor. He had a pass in the form of his mark which allowed him to access the ‘public’ sections of the bookshelves, while wards created a barrier around Lord Slytherin’s private collection, which included a lot of books with squiggly writing that Severus believed to be Parselwriting.

He was immersed in a potions journal of Sigfried Mulpepper, detailing his work on adapting the potion to neutralize several more poisons by adding a third mistletoe berry and counteracting the unwanted effects with a daisy petal to promote stability. He was so fascinated by the unusual method of experimentation the man had used, in fact, that Severus didn’t notice someone else had joined him at the large wooden table in the center of the room until he heard the thunk of a large book being set down.

Glancing up, his eyes widened at the sight of Lord Slytherin, who was reading a massive volume that had no name on the spine. Remembering he wanted to wish his lord a happy birthday, Severus cleared his throat quietly, causing Lord Slytherin to look up expectantly.

Licking his lips nervously, Severus said, “Err, happy birthday, Lord Slytherin.” He glanced back down at the book he had been reading shyly. When he risked another darting look upwards, he saw Lord Slytherin staring at him with a look of startled surprise.

“That’s-Thank you.” Lord Slytherin responded after a moment, trying to maintain his composure while inwardly he was completely off balance. He wasn’t wished a happy birthday often, as most people weren’t even aware of his birthday. Severus must have learned the date from one of his friends. An odd fluttering feeling creeped through his mind and he smiled at Severus, saying impulsively, “Call me Marvolo, in private.”

Now it was Severus’s turn to look surprised. He didn’t think any of the others Knights had permission to call Lord Slytherin that, so informally. It was truly unexpected that his lord would say such a thing and it would definitely take some getting used to.

Glancing at the clock on the wall behind them, his eyes widened as he realized the time. He had less than 10 minutes before he needed to be at Lord Black’s house. Standing up and quickly returning the journal to its place on the shelf nearby, Severus apologized for his hasty departure and thanked him again, saying as he left, “Thank you, Lor-Marvolo.”

Brown eyes followed Severus as he left, filled with a complex series of emotions. Marvolo watched his new potions master go, frowning internally at how spontaneous and impulsive he was becoming around the man. This was something he needed to monitor, he would not let years of careful planning go to waste just because he was unable to control himself. Marvolo didn’t understand why he was suddenly having problems, this had never occurred before, so why now?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with a new chapter for you! Enjoy our boys being frustrating but slowly making progress maybe (this IS a slow burn lol)

The meeting with Lord Black had gone well and Severus now had signed a magical contract to ensure that both sides would keep their end of the deal. He would provide the lord with 3 mastery level potions that were legal in Britain in exchange for having all of his mastery paid for. All in all, not a bad arrangement, he had even managed to get that they couldn’t be used against Lord Slytherin included in order to protect himself and the Knights.

Having finished with the trio of books that Lord Slytherin had let him borrow, Severus made a trip to the manor in order to return them. When he ventured to the same office as before and knocked, Marvolo opened it and took the volumes extended in his direction. 

“Come in,” He said, beckoning Severus towards him as he returned the books to their places on his bookshelf and took a seat at his desk. He waited until Severus had settled himself in a chair before asking how his research and Mastery were going.

“Very well so far!” Severus replied, unable to keep the pleased smile off his face. He restrained himself from babbling on about it, not wanting to be rude.

“Did you finish your project yet, the one on Veritaserum?” Marvolo asked, seemingly interested in hearing more, so Severus allowed himself to relax a bit and tell him that he hadn’t finished it quite yet, but that he had managed to successfully complete a spell he’d been working on creating in his free time.

Marvolo was quite impressed with his new potions master, who just seemed to get better and better. He was glad he had been able to recruit him, he was quite talented and some might say even a prodigy. It had taken him decades before he was able to create his own spells and here was Severus doing so before even turning 20. He refrained from saying as much, but did allow himself to compliment the other and invited him to work on a project together in the future, inwardly frustrated with his impulsive behavior again rearing its head.

The two were just finishing up their conversation and Severus stood to leave, opening the door. He moved backwards, startled, when a snake slid over his foot. Nagini slithered across the room and coiled herself around Lord Slytherin’s shoulders after winding her way up his side. With her size, it was pushing the edge of being a comical sight and Severus bit his lip to prevent from laughing.

She hissed something that had Marvolo’s jaw drop briefly before he turned a faint pink, hissing frantically back and seemingly having forgotten about Severus, who drank the sight of the man blushing in before realizing he should probably leave and making a hasty exit. Back in his office, Marvolo was greatly embarrassed and trying to explain to his familiar that he was not planning on mating with the man who had just left.

After several minutes of arguing with Nagini, he conceded defeat and shook his head longsufferingly as he watched her vanish around the corner of the doorway, off to go hunt or find someone else to bother. Dismissing the incident from his mind, he turned back to the report he had received from Barty Crouch Jr, who was currently training to become a Unspeakable. He read the same sentence three times while constantly becoming distracted by thoughts of ‘mating’ with Severus before giving up and dropping his head onto the wooden desk with a thunk.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its been so long since an update!!! Life is a bit busy at the moment, but you can count on me usually updating on the weekends. :)

This topic was not dropped by Nagini any time soon, who relentlessly pestered Marvolo about the potions master for over a week and took to curling up in the corner and making snarky comments whenever the two met. Marvolo managed to control himself and no longer turned red at every inappropriate remark from his familiar, but definitely struggled with constant distraction because of it.

Lord Slytherin had decided to wish Severus a happy birthday in return and give him a small gift as a reward for his excellent work so far, so he summoned Lucius for the sole purpose of inquiring when the man’s birthday was. He disguised it behind the excuse of wanting to see how Malfoy’s work was going in the Ministry, but unfortunately Lucius didn’t seem to believe him if his narrowed eyes and the amused tilt of his mouth said anything. There were only a few days until Severus’s birthday, but thankfully enough time to acquire his present.

The startled look on his potions master’s face when he quietly wished the man a happy birthday and handed him a blank potions journal became a fond memory years down the road, as well as the light dusting of pink across his cheeks and shy smile when he thanked Lord Slytherin occupying Marvolo’s current thoughts.

With the new year beginning and the businesses and schools back in full swing, the Knights found themselves extremely busy as new legislature was planned and negotiated. This unfortunately also meant that the Order of the Phoenix, or Dumbles Glowing Poultry Club as a segment of the younger Knights secretly referred to the group as, was attempting to block them at every turn. While the Knights strived to remain on the (mostly) legal side of things, the blind followers of Dumbledore had no qualms about attacking members of their party and attempted to blame injured civilians and damage to surroundings on their group. Thankfully, most of the wizarding populace didn’t mindlessly listen to the man, but there were still a vocal minority.

The beginning of March found Severus caught in the middle of one of these attacks when he had been visiting Hogsmeade in order to restock on some potions ingredients for his personal store. He shot a stunner at the dark haired woman in blue robes who was trying to blast him into a wall and ducked behind a wheelbarrow as he scanned the area. A frown took over his face as he saw a pair of young Gryffindor students and a Hufflepuff perilously close to a violent duel between an Order member and a lower level Knight who had apparated in at the alert of an attack.

Darting over, Severus created a shield to cover the group and ordered the students to run into the nearby alley which would take them away from the fight. The Hufflepuff listened without hesitation but the Gryffindors looked at him and the fighting with an odd expression before leaving. Perhaps they had finally started thinking for themselves and realized Dumbledore’s preaching about evil murdering Knights wasn’t adding up.

He was just turning to join the duel of an older Knight who seemed to be tiring when there was a sizzling sound and he was flung to the ground, hitting his head on the hard stones which made up the path. When he reached up to touch the stinging area behind his ear, his fingers were covered in blood and his eyes widened.

An explosion nearby reminded him he was still in the middle of a battle, and he scrambled to his feet hastily, almost falling over and blinking rapidly as he tried to fight off the dizziness. He saw another Knight had thankfully joined the duel and the pair were working in well-refined harmony. A closer look revealed familiar curls and a smile came to his face as Severus knew Bellatrix would be able to handle the situation. She wasn’t the duelling instructor for nothing.

The sound of apparition echoed through the nearby alley and Marvolo himself strode quickly out into the street, eyes surveying the few Order members who were still trying to attack and the competent Knights who were methodically taking them down in pairs. His eyes landed on Severus, who was leaning heavily against the wall of an apothecary and clutching his wand weakly. A scan of his body revealed blood dripping down the side of his head and onto his shoulder.

Taking a deep breath at the rush of emotions threatening to overwhelm him, Marvolo stalked over to the injured man and took a firm grip of his arm, the one with his mark and ordered the bond to ensure he was transported safely to the manor before instructing Severus to return to Slytherin Manor immediately. Severus nodded and vanished with a pop, his pendant glowing briefly as it activated with the bond.

A rapid cluster of stunners were sent to dispatch the remaining order members and Marvolo bound them in a circle unable to reach their wands to ensure they wouldn’t try to restart the fight. If he was a bit more harsh with the woman whose magical signature he recognized around Severus’s injury, well, no one made any remarks. He signaled to the Knights and ordered them to fix any damage they could to the buildings and heal any injured civilians or fighters before returning to their homes or the manor.

Once the situation in Hogsmeade was dealt with, Marvolo returned to his manor and walked as quickly as he could without seeming overly rushed towards the medical center, run by Narcissa Black and several volunteer Knights who weren’t well suited to direct combat. He found Severus resting in a bed with a frowning Narcissa standing over him and flicking various healing spells at his injured head. The few scrapes he had remained, not being severe enough to use her magic on, as there were lots of others who would be in need of her energy.

She looked up as Lord Slytherin approached and bowed quickly, returning her focus to attempting to heal Severus’s head. Most of the standard healing spells were unable to do anything about the injury, which was worrying. Snape had been unable to give her many details about what he had been hit with, only that it was hot and burned. The wound itself was a cross between a laceration and a first degree burn, thankfully nothing more superficially severe. No concussion, fortunately.

“Allow me?” Marvolo said, flicking his wand up and hissing as he made a complicated series of symbols in the air in front of him. They rushed towards the injury and faltered for a moment before setting to work. The damaged skin repaired itself and the blood on the nearby area of his neck was swiftly vanished. A relieved sigh was heard from Narcissa, who nodded in approval at the state of Severus now before rushing off to deal with a broken wrist.

Settling down in the chair nearby, Lord Slytherin surveyed the sleeping face of his potion master before his eyes drifted towards the long, elegant fingers resting on the edge of the bed. He felt an odd urge to smooth the tangled inky strands of Severus’s hair, but shook himself and looked around to see who else had been injured in the battle. Thankfully, only a handful of Knights were in need of healing and the worst seemed to be a dislocated shoulder and Severus’s head wound. Eyes returning to the unconscious form of his potions master, Marvolo stayed at Severus’s bedside for a moment before sighing and leaving, knowing he had responsibilities that couldn’t wait any longer.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit past denial now, more towards trying to ignore their feelings ٩(◕‿◕)۶
> 
> Progress kind of??

The next morning, a slightly disoriented Severus woke up to find himself in an unfamiliar room. A quick assessment of his surroundings revealed that it was the medical center he had seen in the tour given by Regulus weeks ago. He appeared to be unharmed except for a few shallow cuts and scrapes on his arms and side, along with a hole in the right leg of his pants.

After being discharged by Narcissa, he decided to check in with Marvolo before leaving. He ran into Evan Rosier, who greeted him politely and invited him to a party the younger generation of the Knights were having. Severus blinked in surprise and decided to decline after a moment, still holding a dislike for most social interaction. Evan didn’t seem offended and nodded in a friendly manner before continuing on his way.

Severus made it to Marvolo’s office without running into anyone else and found the door was closed, with the faint sound of voices coming from behind it. Settling against the wall to wait, he spotted the morning newspaper sitting on a nearby hall table and picked it up, scanning the headlines. The previous day’s attack had made the front page and was being condemned as a terrorist attack by the Order according to the Ministry. Apparently, all of the participating Order members had been apprehended, but had managed to escape. They were suspected to have been assisted by Ministry employee Arthur Weasley, who was a well-known supporter of Dumbledore, and who was now suspended from his position indefinitely.

Testimony was also present from several students and shopkeepers who had been present for the battle, insisting the majority of the Knights had only appeared after the Order started attacking and that the Knights had stayed to help them repair the injuries and damage caused by Dumbledore’s group. The Hufflepuff Severus had saved had even mentioned how they had been protected by a young Knight with dark hair.

“I see you’ve seen the article.” Came a voice from right behind him, startling Severus who turned around to find Marvolo mere inches away from his face. His eyes widened and he swallowed reflexively, blinking quickly and shifting away from the desk after putting the newspaper back on the hall table. Lord Slytherin had evidently finished whatever meeting he was having and the other person was gone, leaving only Nagini to join them in the hallway.

“Did you need something?” Marvolo asked, seemingly unaware of the panicked state he had sent Severus into with his proximity.

“I just wanted to check in to see if you needed me to do anything.” Severus said, quickly regaining his composure and resolutely ignoring Nagini, who was hissing something in what he swore was a teasing tone.

“Not at the moment, no.” Marvolo replied, shaking his head and shoving Nagini off of him in an annoyed manner, gesturing for her to go away.

“Alright, then. I’m going home. I’ll see you at the next meeting or if you need to call me before then.” Severus nodded, smiling diffidently before lowering his eyes and turning to leave.

“Er-” Marvolo said abruptly, running a hand through his hair in an agitated manner, “Be careful, would you. Try not to get caught up in any more attacks.”

“Yes of course.” Severus replied, his smile a little brighter this time before he left in a swirl of dark robes, a flash of pale skin intermixed where his pants leg was ripped.

Marvolo took a deep breath and tried to focus on anything and everything other than the young man who was driving him crazy. Hissing laughter echoed up from where Nagini was coiled by his office door and he scowled, closing the door behind him a bit harder than necessary.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its very convenient that Marvolo and Severus are now living in the same building ;)

A young dark-haired man made his way back to his apartment, unaware of the eyes watching him from the shadows. He reached up absently to rub at where he’d been injured and his fingers tingled at the lingering magic of Lord Slytherin. Severus fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked his front door, stepping inside and closing it behind him. 

Across the street, a tall man with dark hair and glasses nodded and put down the newspaper he had been pretending to read. He was joined by a girl with short dark hair, an old man with a long beard, and several others. The girl nodded to confirm that this was the same man she had seen in Hogsmeade.

Dumbledore led the group and came to a stop in front of the door Severus had recently entered, his wand pointed at it with one hand as he knocked firmly with the other. Behind him, Edgar Bones, James Potter, and Alice and Frank Longbottom had their own wands drawn. Dorcas Meadowes stood at the back, guarding the rear and keeping a lookout. She had cast several wards and spells to keep the nearby muggles unaware of what was going on.

No one answered the door, and Dumbledore frowned, before swiftly blasting open the door and directing James and Edgar to go first. The Order members trampled into the house, uncaring of the destruction they caused as they searched the rooms for their target. A startled Severus jumped up, wand drawn, at the sound of intruders in his living room and peered around the corner cautiously from where he was standing by the kitchen door. He inhaled sharply at the sight of Dumbledore and his lackeys, attention temporarily distracted by the sight of his former bully. Unfortunately, he had been spotted and in his distraction, was unable to block Frank from disarming and stunning him. 

Darkness temporarily consumed Severus and when his vision returned, he was bound to his own kitchen chair. Dumbledore stood in front of him with a hard look on his face, having abandoned entirely his usual grandfatherly act. James stood to the man’s left, smirking cruelly and leaning against the wall, while the other three order members watched him from the right.

“Hey, Snivellus. Interesting place you’ve got here.” James said, sneering. “Shame about the clock, though. My foot slipped.”

Severus bit his tongue so harshly it started to bleed, trying to restrain the surge of anger and despair overwhelming him. That grandfather clock was one of the only things he had left from his mother. Thankfully, he had managed to conceal his emotions well enough, as James seemed upset at not getting a better reaction to his taunt.

Alice ran a hand through her hair and huffed irritably. “Can we get on with it, please. I’ve better things to do today than hang out with this pathetic loser.” She said, looking expectantly at Dumbledore.

“Yes, yes, of course, dear Alice.” Dumbledore said placatingly, eyes twinkling at her before they landed back on Severus and sharpened dangerously.

“Now, Severus, my boy. It has come to our attention that you are a part of the evil organization run by Slytherin. I’m quite disappointed to see your actions, what would Lily think? Come back to the light and we can help you.” The man said, putting on a comforting act. Severus restrained himself from scoffing at the obvious guilt trip.

Unable to stop himself from rolling his eyes, Severus replied, “I think… no thanks. I’m perfectly happy where I am.”

Edgar, who had been silent up until now, moved forward and smiled. “Well, we’ll see if you still say that after a little while.” Severus shivered at that smile, it could only mean bad things.

A barrage of borderline illegal spells later, Severus was bruised and bloody, but still resolutely refused to join the Order and become a spy. Dumbledore seemed furious for a moment, but then his face smoothed out and he smiled disarmingly at Frank Longbottom. “Well, I guess plan C will be useful then.” 

Frank nodded and pulled a couple vials out of his bag, handing them to Dumbledore. Severus’s eyes widened, recognizing among them highly illegal potions that would essentially make him unable to refuse any orders they gave him. His thoughts raced as he tried to figure out how to escape the situation and felt like hitting himself when he remembered his pendant, which the group had stupidly not thought to remove. 

Unable to reach for it as his hands were restrained behind him, Severus instead took a deep breath and closed his eyes, feeling for the bond connected to his mark and urgently pulling on it, pleading for it to help him escape. It pained him to leave his things behind, but they weren’t worth becoming a slave to Dumbledore. 

Warm magic swirled up around him and his eyes fluttered open to see the stunned and fuming faces of the Order members as Severus was yanked away through space to land in a heap on the ground outside Slytherin Manor. He tried to get up only to find his body wasn’t listening to him. The last thing he saw before passing out was rapidly approaching feet and someone calling for Narcissa.

***

Marvolo was enjoying a light lunch when all of a sudden the bond between him and one of his Knights started twinging and acting oddly. Focusing on the branching tree of bonds, Marvolo realized it was the one Severus held. Rushing along the strand of magic, he saw through Severus’s eyes briefly and heard his plea for help. Concentrating, Marvolo activated the pendant using the master portkey he held, being careful to ensure Severus wouldn’t be further hurt in his injured and unstable state. He winced as the landing wasn’t as gentle as he would’ve liked, but hopefully no major damage had been done.

Springing up from his desk, Marvolo sprinted through the halls of his manor, calling for someone to fetch Narcissa as he passed a startled group of Knights exiting the library. Luckily, the woman in question was out in the gardens reading a book and was able to quickly join Marvolo as she spotted Severus on the ground where the portkeys deposited visitors.

The countless bleeding cuts and plentiful bruising across his pale skin made Marvolo so angry he had to stop and take a deep breath in order to prevent himself from accidentally being too rough with Severus as he picked him up at Narcissa’s direction and followed her swiftly towards the medical center. Those Order members were going to suffer for touching his Severus. Distracted by the situation, Marvolo didn’t realize he’d unconsciously begun referring to the potions master as his.

Thankfully, Narcissa was able to heal all of his injuries without permanent damage and it wasn’t long before Severus woke again, relaxing in obvious relief at the sight of them.

“You just couldn’t stay away, huh?” Narcissa teased, smiling at Severus and patting his hand. 

Marvolo felt oddly upset at how she was touching Severus, but brushed his discomfort off and said instead, “Now, what happened? I saw the Order members but not much.”

Severus looked down at the sheets of his bed, twisting them awkwardly between his long, pale fingers as he told the two about what had happened. “One of the Order had recognized me at Hogsmeade and told Dumbledore, who decided that I should be a spy, willingly or not didn’t matter to him at all. You got me out just before they tried to give me Mentis Imperium.”

Narcissa breathed in sharply in shock. “They dare-” She said, voice shaking in rage.

Marvolo next to her looked highly troubled. “We will have to find out how much of that they have and alert the Ministry.” He said, frowning. “Do you know where they got it?” Marvolo asked, looking at Severus, who shook his head regretfully.

There was a commotion near the entrance to the miniature hospital and Narcissa was called away to deal with some sort of nosebleed. Marvolo and Severus were left alone and looked at each other in silence for a moment before Marvolo let out a sigh and relaxed slightly in the chair that had appeared at some point.

“You will be staying here at the Manor for the time being, seeing as your home was compromised. There is an empty room across the hall from my own. Do you have any belongings you want to retrieve?” Marvolo said, clearly telling Severus his new living arrangement instead of asking.

Severus frowned at the question, his mind flashing to the destruction of his clock. “I-I’m not sure if there will be anything left that isn’t in pieces… One of the members has a unfounded vendetta against me.” He said hesitantly, looking resolutely at the floor.

Marvolo’s eyes flashed in anger, taking in the defeated posture of Severus and the insinuation that this person had been tormenting him for years. “Once we know the place is empty, I’ll go with you and make sure they haven’t left any nasty surprises. Do you keep your Potions Mastery work there?”

Severus shook his head, immensely relieved that he had been paranoid enough to hide all of his research in his brewing rooms at the manor. “My personal ingredients are probably gone though, some of those were valuable enough to be worth it to sell. My owl was also away, so Fiona should be alright, but confused as she can’t get past the manor’s wards.”

Marvolo corrected him, saying, “No, Fiona can get here fine. I add all of the Knight’s owls in after they have taken the mark. I suspect she will be waiting for you in the Owlery later.” He stood up and extended a hand to help Severus up, who blushed slightly as he took Marvolo’s hand and released it nervously. “Now, let me show you to your new room.”

  
  



	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy and please take care of yourself! If you're reading this, take a moment to give your eyes a break and drink some water. <3

Once Severus was settled in his new room, Marvolo returned to his office and sat in his chair for approximately five seconds before realizing he wouldn’t be able to get any work done in his current state of rage. He redirected to the dueling hall with Bellatrix instead, working up a sweat and decimating one of the advanced practice dummies as he didn’t dare risk his dueling instructor with the level of spellwork he was using.

Thoroughly tired out, Marvolo eventually returned to his office after a change of clothes and settled in his chair with a sigh, picking up the stack of reports he couldn’t procrastinate on reading through any longer. These occupied his attention for the remaining hours until dinner, where he finally signed off on the last piece of parchment and stood up from his desk, wincing at the stiffness in his limbs.

Severus was just coming out of his room as Marvolo passed by, and the two walked together in companionable silence down to the dining hall. There were only a few Knights present that evening, so dinner was held in the informal room, where Bellatrix, Narcissa, and Lucius were already standing talking. Malfoy smiled at the sight of Severus and was at his side within seconds, worrying over him. He had clearly heard about what had happened from his fiance. 

Marvolo found himself constantly glancing in Severus’s direction and even missed the amused looks exchanged by the Black sisters. Narcissa was actually far from the polished lady persona she put in public, having secretly (from Lord Slytherin) started a betting pool on when the two would get together. The wizarding world was very accepting of homosexuality, apart from the few muggleborns who had brought their discrimination with them and those their opinion had spread to. These were often the same people who followed Dumbledore blindly and tried to outlaw traditional Magical holidays and customs.

After dinner had concluded, Severus excused himself and left to go visit the owlery to check on Fiona. Lucius and Narcissa went for a walk in the garden, donning warm coats and brushing off Bellatrix when she hovered nearby, teasing. Marvolo elected to head to the library, gaining a certain slithering companion on the way, to work on refreshing his knowledge of restoration and cleaning charms in preparation for the mess Severus clearly expected to find at his apartment.

These spells were a great help the next morning, when Marvolo had brought Severus back to his home. A series of detection and subsequent dissolution spells had rendered the place safe for the short time that they would be there. Severus stepped through the doorway, past the broken door that had been left barely in the frame. Shattered items and fragments of paper were everywhere, tossed haphazardly around. A look into the other rooms revealed nothing had been spared, and a stale rancid smell wafted from his bedroom. In the middle of the destruction, was an untouched piece of paper. 

Swallowing, Severus flung a dozen detection charms at the note, which all came back negative. He reached down carefully and picked up the paper with the edge of his robe, opening the note to find the words,  _ Did some home redecoration for you, it’s much improved and perfect for a disgusting creature like you.  _

Marvolo’s fingers sparked dangerously as he read the note over Severus’s shoulders, fury coiling through his body and forcing its way out through his hands in the form of magic. He inhaled sharply and forced himself to control his magic, watching as his potions master lit the note on fire and tossed the ashes into the bin.

The two got to work, fixing and disinfecting as much as they could. Marvolo was able to repair the broken clock in one corner, to which Severus looked suspiciously like he was tearing up. Despite their best efforts, about a third of everything was unsalvageable, mostly the potion things and clothes. Marvolo resolved to give him new ones and promptly placed an owl order after returning to the manor.

Miraculously, Severus’s wand was intact, though it was heavily layered in compulsions and other harmful spells which took them working together at least twenty minutes to break. The man cradled it carefully in his hands after rescuing it, beyond grateful that it had survived, before returning it to its holster on his arm.

Eventually, they had salvaged all they could, and Severus hoisted the magically expanded bag holding all of his belongings over his shoulder. He took the hand Marvolo extended and with the whirl, they were gone. Behind, an empty apartment stood, the door falling down with a sigh and a thud, to be found when a neighbor returned home later that day.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bet you didn't see this coming...

Marvolo gathered the bundle of clothes that had arrived and directed a house elf to pop them into Severus’s room, choosing to bring him the potion ingredients in person where he was working in the manor’s potion labs. The man was immersed in an experimental brew of the dragon pox vaccine and gestured for him to wait without looking up. 

Knowing how delicate the brewing process was, Marvolo settled himself in a chair and retrieved a scrap piece of parchment and a quill to start making a rough plan for the next Knights meeting agenda. He occupied himself with the task for the next five minutes and then looked up as Severus cast a stasis spell on the cauldron and came over.

Severus stared at Marvolo with a scrutinizing expression, his heart kicking up a notch as his brain helpfully told him that Lord Slytherin wouldn’t usually personally visit to give ingredients. A house elf was not only more convenient, there was also less chance of something happening to the ingredients in between their destinations. His hand trembled slightly and he quickly forced it to still, thanking Marvolo for the ingredients formally and darting a glance at the others face, trying to figure out if he could possibly also be interested in a relationship. Unfortunately, it was expressionless and gave nothing away, causing Severus to deflate slightly, knowing that he couldn’t risk trying to approach Marvolo anyways.

Marvolo opened his mouth to say something, only for hurried footsteps to sound as Lucius rushed as gracefully as possible towards them. He seemed startled and flustered, his usual composure having slipped in the face of whatever was going on.

Lucius came to a stop and said, “My Lord, I have just received a letter. None other than one of Dumbledore’s order, a werewolf by the name of Lupin, has expressed a wish to meet with you.” Severus felt himself stiffen at the familiar name and Lucius looked over at him in concern, knowing the bad history between the two.

Lord Slytherin seemed intrigued and fell in step with Lucius as they walked back towards the other end of the manor. “I would like to take a look at the letter myself, if you don’t mind.” He replied politely, though everyone knew it wasn’t really a request. Lucius nodded curtly in acquiescence, rattling off some information he’d gotten by scanning the letter so far as the pair disappeared around the corner.

Severus swallowed roughly and turned back to continue his brewing work for the day. He had to be more cautious than usual as he was distracted and almost made several beginner mistakes which only frustrated him more. Of course finishing school wouldn’t ever be enough to rid him of the Marauders.

***

Remus Lupin straightened his robes, having decided to wear his nicest clothes that he saved for special occasions. He was meeting with Lord Slytherin for lunch and wanted to make the best impression he could. Thankfully, Slytherin had arranged for them to meet at The White Quill, which wasn’t overly expensive or formal. If all went well, hopefully he would be allowed to join the Knights, which only kept sounding better and better to him. All he’d known about the group before was from Dumbledore and as such, incredibly biased and false information, if he extended the knowledge that he’d been lied to about his heritage his whole life towards other subjects. Hearing what his former friends had done to Snape was the last straw and he had decided to reach out to his supposed enemy, knowing Malfoy would be a good place to start.

He arrived twenty minutes early to the location Lord Slytherin had given him in the response to his letter. A tall man with dark hair was already standing there, idly rolling his wand across his palms. Slytherin pushed himself off the wall gracefully, casting a series of rapid spells at Remus before he could do anything. He seemed pleased with the results and gestured for Remus to follow him, walking into the restaurant without looking back.

The hostess showed them to a quiet table in the back, placing two menus on the table and offering them a polite smile before leaving them to get settled. Lord Slytherin didn’t even glance at the menu, so Remus refrained from picking one up and instead saw the expectant look on the man’s face and cleared his throat nervously.

“I recently found out that I have been manipulated and lied to by those I thought were friends and discovered that I didn’t really know much about what the Knights actually want.” He said, trying his best to relax.

“Oh?” Marvolo said, tilting his head curiously. “Well, I can certainly help you on the second point.” He pulled a small paper from his robes and slid it across the table for Remus to pick up. 

Remus read over the paper while the two ate a quick meal of chicken salad and Marvolo answered his questions patiently. He had of course been required to swear an Unbreakable Vow not to tell the Order. Marvolo learned that he had overheard the other Order members discussing him and how their manipulations were working. Apparently, he was actually born a werewolf and his parents had been killed and his infant self deposited by Dumbledore with the Lupin family.

By the end of the meal, Lupin was thoroughly convinced that he wanted to join the Knights and so after a powerful privacy ward was cast by Lord Slytherin, he gained a general mark and pendant, along with instructions to portkey to Slytherin Manor for the next meeting. Marvolo had also thought to scan him for any long term potions or compulsions and discovered that his werewolf had been partially blocked which caused him to transform in a painful and deformed state, along with forcing him to hate his wolf side.

A embarassed Lupin had explained that he couldn’t afford to have them removed at Gringotts and Lord Slytherin directed him to take his arm, apparating straight into the manor’s infirmary where Narcissa removed the blocks before a now clean Lupin was taken back and deposited on the street corner again.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Severus and Marvolo are bonding ;)

Severus inhaled slowly and forced himself not to look in the direction of Lupin, who was seated across the room at one of the other tables, blatantly staring at him. Everyone was wearing their usual formal robes, even the werewolf whose looked a bit shabby even from a distance. The potions master had been ‘upgraded’ to the main table and close to Lord Slytherin with maybe half a dozen seats between them, filled by the inner circle of Knights such as Bellatrix, Narcissa and Lucius. Regulus was next to Severus on the other side and the two had been talking quietly while they waited for the last few people to arrive, with Antonin occasionally commenting from across the table where he was sitting next to Lucius. The two had been working on the education plan for Lord Slytherin and were presenting it that evening.

Lupin was announced as a new recruit along with some middle-aged witch, with no particular assignments for either of them at the moment. Severus barely kept a scowl of his face at the thought that he might end up having to spend more time with the former Marauder, instead gripping the edge of his jacket tightly and determinedly staring at the wall behind Marvolo. 

His attention was captured by Lucius standing up with Antonin by his side and handing a folder of papers to Lord Slytherin, reporting that the Wizengamot was due to vote on the plan at the next session and that support was likely from members of all three sects, including the ever-increasingly disillusioned Light who were no longer fans of Dumbledore.

Soon after, the meeting ended and Severus glanced at Marvolo who was deep in conversation with a couple of unfamiliar people before making his way towards the side exit. Unlike most of the Knights, he actually lived at the manor for the time being (and wasn’t that a thrilling thought), so he would not be going out into the gardens to leave.

Unfortunately, his exit was blocked by the unwelcome figure of Remus Lupin, who had stood firmly in between Severus and the door. His fingers automatically went to his wand and the werewolf raised his hands quickly, saying, “Wait, wait, please.” Severus looked at him critically, noting the pleading expression, less sickly aura, and the more confident posture.

Sighing, he rolled his eyes. “What do you want,  _ Moony _ .” Severus sneered, emphasizing the nickname to remind Lupin of exactly why he was likely to curse the man.

Lupin looked down shamefully, saying after a moment, “I wanted to apologize. It wasn’t right of me how I acted in school.”

Crossing his arms, Severus replied, “Your apology has been received. However, I don’t forgive you. What you did to me with the rest of them was nothing less than torture half the time. Narcissa told me that your wolf had been affected, nothing else.” It was probably vaguely illegal that he knew the other’s medical information, but Narcissa had seen exactly how much the Marauders had put Severus through and as such gave him the file when he appeared in the infirmary after hearing from Lucius that the werewolf had been given the mark.

Lupin looked like he’d been slapped in the face and nodded in a resigned manner, saying only, “I’ll try and work to improve in the future.” before turning and leaving through the main doors with the last of the Knights.

Despite essentially triumphing over one of his former bullies, Severus mostly just felt empty instead of triumphant. His shoulders slumped slightly only and he turned to leave, only to find Marvolo standing maybe a foot away, looking conflicted. A rush of humiliation filled him at the thought of Lord Slytherin knowing about how pathetic he had been, but somehow the expression on Marvolo’s face reassured him that he wasn’t pitied, only perhaps… was that empathy?

Marvolo gestured for Severus to walk with him and the two made their way down the corridor in silence for a little while before Marvolo finally said, “I grew up in an orphanage, you know. The other children enjoyed pushing me around because I was smaller and liked to tell families that I was  _ strange _ and dissuade them from wanting anything to do with me. When I grew and found that I had power, I burned with the urge to get revenge towards them, but it didn’t really help. Moving on with the help of a mind healer was what finally settled the unpleasant memories. I hope you will be able to do that too.”

Severus’s footsteps faltered briefly and he swallowed, trying to find the right words. He was stunned that Marvolo was sharing this with him, but it also fed the little flame inside of him that yearned for the other. “Thank you.” He said finally, knowing by the warmth in Marvolo’s eyes that he understood what Severus was unable to properly convey with words. “I will look into finding a mind healer.” If Lord Slytherin of all people had needed one, surely that meant he wasn’t weak for being affected by his past.

They had made it to where Severus’s room was and the two said goodbye before parting ways. Severus closed the door behind him and moved over to where his new clothes were neatly folded in drawers, retrieving a comfortable shirt and pants for the evening. The repaired clock that had once been his mother’s stood proudly next to the dresser, with a lingering aura of comforting magic that Severus recognized as Marvolo’s. He brushed an absent finger over the top as he passed, shivering at the wash of magic over his skin, before falling into the soft sheets of his bed and closing his eyes to rest before his potions would need tending.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which someone is in denial, someone else is pining away, and another is interfering (sort of unintentionally) while Nagini is being proactive and assisting her master in deterring a certain werewolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trickster32 - thanks for the suggestion that Sirius get properly disowned :)

The next few weeks consisted of Severus spending a good amount of time avoiding Lupin while also rushing to finish a large amount of work for his Potions Mastery. The unfortunate thing was that Lupin’s newly freed wolf meant that his senses seemed to allow the man to practically stalk Severus. It was kind of creepy really, how he kept popping up and sending odd looks his way whenever the werewolf was around the manor for an assignment. Lupin was quite unpopular among the Knights, especially the younger ones who knew what he had been like at Hogwarts. Bellatrix took special glee in sending obscure hexes in the man’s direction for what the Marauders had tried to do to Regulus during their 6th year.

Severus was grateful that he had taken the advice of Marvolo and found a mind healer that he now regularly met with. The binding vow of confidentiality was very comforting to him, soothing his borderline paranoid side that the man wouldn’t be able to share any of the things he had learned. Healer Wecois seemed genuine to him and Severus doubted the man would ever want to betray his confidence anyways, but it never hurt to be cautious.

Marvolo had also convinced him to press charges against the Order members who had broken into his home and attacked him, which Severus had agreed to on the condition that he only had to be involved the minimum of what was necessary. He just wanted to move on at this point.. The DMLE had managed to ascertain that the Order had only one dose of the illegal potions and that they had acquired them through one Mundungus Fletcher from some black market. Potter, Edgar Bones, and the Longbottoms had all been stripped of their Junior AUror positions and punished by the law, while Dumbledore found himself arrested by a fuming Amelia Bones who was disgusted by her brother’s actions.

The trial for Dumbledore was quite a battleground and the man almost managed to get out of any charges on a technicality, but the talented team of lawyers that the Ministry and Knights had collaborated for the occasion worked in passionate unity to see the man put away in Azkaban. Marvolo shared with glee the pensieve memory of Dumbledore’s face when his magic was suppressed and his sentencing read to him, giving him 30 years with no parole, to which the inner circle had an impromptu party at getting rid of one of their opponents.

Lord Black had been furious to hear what his eldest son had been getting up to behind his back and promptly formally disowned Sirius in name, blood and magic, stripping him of everything that had made him a Black. He also headed an investigation into Hogwarts, digging through the financial paperwork and ensuring that the staff were competent and not doing illegal things off the record. The Divination professor ended up being dragged off in disgrace while the school rules were completely redone with the assistance of a copy of the original school charter that mysteriously appeared after the phoenix tethered to a perch in the Headmaster’s Office was released.

Severus glanced over at Marvolo from where he was sitting on the couch sipping a cup of caramel tea, which was definitely not something he would usually drink but it was alright, he thought. His thoughts kept bringing up the fact that he should find a new place to live and stop imposing on Marvolo’s hospitality, but he couldn’t muster the energy to do so. He enjoyed the sort of closeness the two had found and worried that he would lose that if he left manor. With only a little guilt, Severus decided that he wouldn’t mention the subject for the time being and would leave if Marvolo asked but otherwise continue to stay.

Across the room, Marvolo was consumed by other thoughts, mostly centered around the problematic topic of Remus Lupin. The man had been assigned as an ambassador to the werewolves for the time being, meaning he was mostly away from the manor, but it seemed that the little time he did spend there was always near Severus. He’d overheard Severus exasperatedly telling the werewolf that he forgave him after about a half dozen attempts by Lupin to ‘make amends’, but Lupin continued to hover around him annoyingly.

A little voice in Marvolo’s head tauntingly said,  _ Jealousy _ , but Marvolo ignored it and insisted to himself that his dislike for the werewolf stemmed from his past as a bully. It certainly wasn’t because Lupin was spending so much time with Severus. It definitely wasn’t because of what Nagini had said the other day. There was no way Lupin was attracted to his potions master, despite what his familiar had said about his scent when she visited Marvolo’s office after her favorite new pastime of stalking the werewolf and appearing out of nowhere to scare him away from her master’s future mate.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, progress is being made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter was written and then promptly posted without editing because I have a pile of coursework taller than me to finish this weekend, but hope you enjoy anyways :)

Summer arrived and with it, Lucius and Narcissa’s wedding. Severus had been convinced (read: blackmailed) into being part of the ceremony, which thankfully wasn’t a huge role. It was a wizarding ceremony, formal but still simple, using a Handfasting ceremony and invoking Lady Magic to bond the couple together. Magical marriage was unbreakable, though some pairs had contracts giving them more leeway (this was usually in the case of an arranged marriage or for an alliance).

A witch in simple grey robes was the officiant and stood at the top of the garden where the wedding was taking place, holding the cord which was three strands of green, black, and gold to represent the house of Black and the house of Malfoy that were joining together. Severus was standing nearby in his best robes, holding the irises and dahlias that would be woven into the cord to represent Lucius and Narcissa’s faithfulness and commitment to each other.

From the audience, Marvolo found himself feeling odd as he watched the wedding, his focus drifting from where Narcissa and Lucius had their hands bound together to where Severus was deftly placing the purple flowers. He continuously had to remind himself to concentrate on the wedding itself and Nagini’s quiet commentary on Severus wasn’t helping. She had insisted on coming along and had even hissed a little blessing for the marriage before making pointed remarks about Marvolo’s own wedding.

Letting out an inaudible sigh, Marvolo moved with the rest of the guests to where the reception was being held and took a seat next to Severus, where they were both seated at the table with the couple. He took a thoughtful sip of his drink and it took everything he had not to make a scene and spit it back out when he  _ finally  _ realized what he felt for Severus. Nagini would be insufferable for weeks, it seemed… Still, even that wasn’t enough of a threat to prevent him from claiming Severus for himself.

Spotting none other than Remus Lupin approaching Severus, who didn’t look very happy to see the werewolf, Marvolo smoothly moved to Severus’s side and said, “Would you like to dance?” He turned so his back was to Lupin, clearly dismissing him.

Wide but hopeful eyes met his question, as Severus seemed shocked into uncharacteristic silence for a moment before eagerly accepting. Despite his non-existent relationship experience, the lord of Slytherin was fairly sure that was a good sign that Severus returned his affections. Carefully taking his hand, Marvolo positioned them on the edge of the dance floor, where the majority of the guests were also waiting for the next song to begin. Across the room, Narcissa grinned and shot Severus a thumbs up, to which he replied with a slightly panicked but happy smile.

The music began and the pair were off, stepping and turning their way across the room. They garnered quite a few speculative glances as it was known that Lord Slytherin didn’t usually dance with anyone, despite his polished skills that had been showcased at Ministry functions. Most of the guests were inner circle Knights who already knew about the unusual amount of time they spent together (and quite a few had also participated in a secret betting pool on Lord Slytherin’s romantic life, but Regulus was definitely not one of the founders), however there were a few nobility and other guests who hadn’t seen Severus and Marvolo interact before.

So fascinating was the pair’s chemistry that no one noticed the agitated werewolf slipping out of the wedding reception room and leaving Malfoy Manor to return home to their rundown house in the countryside. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, lots of things go down both plot and relationship wise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me just say this is not at all what I had planned but my chars stole my plot and made off with it in a helicopter
> 
> ┬┴┬┴┤(･_├┬┴┬┴
> 
> Umm, don't kill me?

It had been quite the evening after Lucius and Narcissa’s wedding. Severus snorted to himself as he took a sip of his mug of coffee, thinking that it was an understatement to say even that. He glanced around the room and his eyes were drawn like magnets to the form of Marvolo sitting nearby, his cheeks staining with a light blush as he remembered what had happened after leaving the reception.

Severus had been tired from both dancing and social interaction, though the reassuring presence of Marvolo had helped somewhat. After a few dances, Marvolo had apologized and explained that he needed to talk with some people, giving Severus the option to come with him if he wished or stay at the table the pair had settled down at. Both choices were somewhat tempting but Severus couldn’t resist the chance to stay close with Marvolo and had opted to go with him.

He’d never admit it to anyone, but Severus might’ve gotten a bit of vindictive pleasure at seeing the social elite attempting to hide their shock and even worry spotting him at Lord Slytherin’s side. They had sneered at him at the Yule Ball and dismissed him but now he’d become part of Marvolo’s circle and had, without meaning to, gained a good deal of power through it. A slight smirk gracing Marvolo’s face hinted that he’d also noticed and Lord Slytherin proceeded to compliment his intelligence and potion skills until Severus felt like his face was on fire.

As the reception wound down, Marvolo and Severus made their way over to the Malfoys to say goodbye before making their way to the apparition point. Marvolo extended his hand towards Severus, who blinked in surprise before smiling and grasping his forearm, holding on tightly as they traveled back to Slytherin Manor. The sun was going down as they walked up the path and Nagini’s scales from her perch around Marvolo’s shoulders gleamed a mesmerizing green. Marvolo stopped and looked at Severus, lips parting to say something before he went rigid and his gaze turned distant.

A soundless alarm screamed in Marvolo, alerting him that one of the Knights was attempting to break their bond. Diving furiously into the spooled threads wrapped around his magic, Marvolo spotted that it was none other than Lupin. He took hold of the thread and yanked viciously, forcing Lupin to travel to him. The werewolf landed in a heap on the ground in front of the startled Severus, who jumped backwards to avoid him.

Spotting Marvolo glaring at him, Lupin paled and his eyes darted around as if looking for an escape. A quick barrage of spells prevented him from moving as well as reappropriating the werewolf’s wand to the hands of Severus, who seemed tempted to snap it. Marvolo wouldn’t be upset if he did, a little extra work to get rid of evidence would be worth it for his Severus.

Bending down, Marvolo took a firm and borderline painful grip of Lupin’s chin, forcing his head up so he could push into his mind. Fury grew inside of him as he witnessed the man showing up at some ramshackle farmhouse and attempting to talk to none other than the Order members who still blindly followed Dumbledore’s plans even without their leaders. Thankfully, the bond and oaths prevented Lupin from actually saying anything, but his thoughts still told the story clearly.

How  _ dare  _ that ungrateful, despicable waste of space try to tell those bloodthirsty miscreants to use Severus as leverage against him. Not only that, but his plan to keep Severus for himself afterwards. Marvolo’s breath hissed from between his clenched teeth and he couldn’t stop himself from casting a curse at the werewolf, who screamed himself hoarse as he experienced his genitals spontaneously turning inside out before disintegrating. Permanently. It was nothing less than he deserved for his disgusting obsession-fueled scheme, especially considering the love potions he was going to give Severus.

Marvolo surfaced from the all-consuming rage that he had been drowning in and looked towards where Severus was standing, slightly worried that he might be repulsed by his more violent side. Instead, he found gleaming dark eyes watching him with admiration, not even sparing Lupin a glance as he moved to Marvolo’s side and asked, “I guess he won’t be needing his wand then?”

Smiling, Marvolo responded, “Not at all. His mistake to betray us will be his last.” Choosing to leave the use of the word us for future consideration, Severus ran his hands slowly over the cypress wood before looking into the terrified eyes of Remus Lupin and raising an eyebrow before he broke the wand in two with one swift move. The werewolf let out a pitiful cry as the strands of silvery unicorn hair fell to the ground with the splinters of wood. Severus stepped closer to Marvolo as if seeking comfort and Marvolo brushed a reassuring hand over his hair and along his face.

Lupin glared up at Severus and spat, “Whoring yourself out now, huh? Should’ve known you’d resort to that, after all, you’re useless for everything else.” Severus flinched minutely, barely noticeable, but Marvolo felt his anger reach a boiling point. Before, Marvolo had planned to rough the wolf up a bit, erase his memories and remove or change his bond, punish him. Now, he knew that this would end in nothing but death. The werewolf had hurt Severus for the last time.

The next half hour passed in a blur and the only thing Marvolo knew was that Severus was at his side. It was the calming hand of his Severus that kept him tethered and even he was slightly surprised at just how merciless he had become. The werewolf had suffered before finally being granted death, with Bellatrix dealing with the body and leaving Marvolo and Severus alone. 

Severus looked at him for a moment, biting his lip and glancing at the ground uncertainly before he asked, “What did the wolf do?”’ His foot found the broken pieces of cypress wood still on the ground and slid back and forth along it.

Marvolo stepped closer, angling his hand carefully so their eyes were close enough to establish a connection. He felt and saw the shiver of Severus at their proximity and forced himself to focus, cautiously joining their minds so he could share the memory that he had stolen from Lupin’s head. Only someone who had mastered both Legilimency and Occlumency could do such a thing.

His Severus practically collapsed into his arms seeing the sickening thoughts and plans and Marvolo pulled him closer carefully, looking at him in concern. He didn’t want to conceal the truth from Severus but he was worried about how he would take the knowledge of the werewolf’s plan. The potions master was still working through his past with the mind healer, he didn’t need new trauma on top of that.

Thankfully, Severus’s reaction after the initial shock seemed to be mostly anger and disgust, kicking the broken pieces of Lupin’s wand one last time before lighting them on fire with his own. Marvolo didn’t want to overwhelm Severus that evening, but he couldn’t wait any longer and Lupin had interrupted them earlier. Taking his hand and gently guiding Severus along the rest of the path and into the house, he brought them through the hallways to where Severus was staying and had to shove away a stray and inappropriate thought about Severus in his bed, instead closing the distance between them slowly and giving him plenty of time to move away or stop him before their lips met gently.

Marvolo had kissed before, but it had never felt like this. An electric current filled him and he had to work to keep the kiss soft and slow instead of giving into his desire to pin Severus against the wall. Severus had sighed into the kiss, melting against him, and his fingers made their way to his long dark hair, tangling in the inky strands.

After a long moment, they separated and looked at one another for a moment before Marvolo saw Severus getting an anxious expression on his face. He quickly stepped back and took Severus’s hand, saying, “This isn’t some fling. I want you to be mine and me yours.” The troubled look faded and Severus’s smile made Marvolo breathless.

Relieved, Severus blushed as Marvolo pressed a soft kiss to his hand before releasing it, wishing him a goodnight before turning to leave. A hiss reminded him that they hadn’t been alone and Marvolo seemed to walk just a bit faster down the corridor as he replied to his snake in an exasperated tone.

Still only half convinced this wasn’t a dream, Severus watched Marvolo go before entering his room and closing the door. He changed into comfortable nightclothes and settled down in his chair, knowing there was no way he would be able to fall asleep anytime soon. He tried to read a new book but the words just couldn’t hold his attention and he kept thinking about the evening over and over until he put down the book with a groan and gave in, retrieving a bottle of Sleeping Draught from his trunk. His Mastery didn’t care how little sleep he’d gotten the night before and he needed to be well rested in order to do his best on the brewing assessment tomorrow.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagini is smug ft. this chapter which seemed a lot longer when I was writing it ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost to the last part of the plot and then LiD will be complete!!

The Knight’s progress in the Ministry was picking up speed as the year continued. With Dumbledore out of the way, their main opposition in the Wizengamot was gone and they were able to get antidiscrimination laws passed at the beginning of the summer session and Lucius was gathering support for a magical primary school to be established. This also meant that Lucius was very busy and so Severus found himself spending most of his time with either Marvolo or Regulus, who was currently staying in one of the guest rooms during the summer and had recently begun his Mastery.

Severus had speedily made his way through his own Mastery and completed it much faster than usual, becoming a Potions Master in under a year. His experimental work played a large part in this and his master had declared themselves unable to teach him anything else. As per his agreement with Lord Black, Severus had brewed a vial of Felix Felicis, Veritaserum, and a potion that was a healing potion from what he could tell. This third potion was brewed from a family recipe Lord Black generously let him remember after the fact and he could only make a guess at the purpose because of the ingredients.

Marvolo had begun teaching Severus Occlumency in the evenings and the pair had become very close as they shared more of their difficult pasts. The Knight bond between them had also evolved slightly, changing to become more equal instead of one-sided. Marvolo hadn’t said it explicitly, but Severus knew that he was now considered above even the Inner Circle and it had been made clear to the Knights at a meeting that Severus was to be protected. The couple had also started working on a spell creation project together and Severus was startled (and slightly proud) to learn that spell-crafting ability at his age was extremely rare.

Severus and Marvolo had initially had trouble with their relationship, both being inexperienced and bad at communication and emotions. Misunderstandings and arguments were fairly frequent and at one point Marvolo had panicked about ‘being in love’ and acted coldly towards Severus without explanation until Narcissa and Nagini conspired to force them to talk. Thankfully, they had managed to work through this and resolved to communicate better in the future.

They weren’t the only relationship to have blossomed recently, with Regulus hitting it off with none other than Barty. The two had met at one of the Knight meetings and immediately found a common spirit, having lengthy discussions about theory and literature. Severus, having discovered the betting pool on his own relationship, got petty revenge on Regulus by starting one on Barty and Regulus. He also may have enlisted the help of a few younger Knights to hex Narcissa to hiccup hearts in Lucius’s direction for a few hours.

  
  



End file.
